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Is Trump's border wall being built? Here are the facts

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey take a tour of the border after the National Guard came to help out, in San Luis, Arizona, at the U.S.-Mexico border on April 18, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen tours border in Arizona

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey take a tour of the border after the National Guard came to help out, in San Luis, Arizona, at the U.S.-Mexico border on April 18, 2018.
Nick Oza/The Republic

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen tours border in Arizona

The National Guard in San Luis, Arizona, at the U.S.-Mexico border on April 18, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen tours border in Arizona

The National Guard in San Luis, Arizona, at the U.S.-Mexico border on April 18, 2018.
Nick Oza/The Republic

The National Guard in San Luis, Arizona, at the U.S.-Mexico border on April 18, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen tours border in Arizona

The National Guard in San Luis, Arizona, at the U.S.-Mexico border on April 18, 2018.
Nick Oza/The Republic

Graffiti at the U.S.-Mexico border. Nick Oza/The Republic

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen tours border in Arizona

Graffiti at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Nick Oza/The Republic

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen greets National Guard troops who have been deployed to the southwest border. Nick Oza/The Republic

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen tours border in Arizona

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen greets National Guard troops who have been deployed to the southwest border.
Nick Oza/The Republic

Security for U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, who came to visit and greet National Guard troops who have been deployed to the southwest border in San Luis, Arizona. Nick Oza/The Republic

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen tours border in Arizona

Security for U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, who came to visit and greet National Guard troops who have been deployed to the southwest border in San Luis, Arizona.
Nick Oza/The Republic

National Guard troops at the border on April 18, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen tours border in Arizona

National Guard troops at the border on April 18, 2018.
Nick Oza/The Republic

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen tours border in Arizona

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey take a tour of the border after the National Guard came to help out, in San Luis, Arizona, at the U.S.-Mexico border on April 18, 2018.

As President Donald Trump presses to get $5 billion for border-wall construction — with the threat of a government shutdown as leverage — he's issued a flurry of tweets.

In one Twitter burst, Trump said his administration has "already built large new sections" of the "great wall" that he spoke of while campaigning for president.

To date, however, the Trump administration has not constructed one foot of border wall that fits any description he gave during his presidential campaign.

During the campaign, Trump insisted that existing fences were not adequate, and he would build something different — an impenetrable wall at least 20 or 30 feet tall. After Trump took office, federal officials had construction companies bid on and build prototypes meeting those standards.

.....Ice, Border Patrol and our Military have done a FANTASTIC job of securing our Southern Border. A Great Wall would be, however, a far easier & less expensive solution. We have already built large new sections & fully renovated others, making them like new. The Democrats,.....

Instead of building new walls, the Department of Homeland Security has replaced old barriers in some border areas and erected new fences in a few locations.

Those metal barriers mostly are 12 to 18 feet high. They are the same design fences built under Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush.

Indeed, Congress funded the projects with a stipulation that the new border structures built under Trump must use existing fence designs — meaning the new prototype wall designs couldn't be used.

But in practice, the distinction between "wall" and "fence" has begun to blur.

More than a year ago, Trump and the Department of Homeland security began labeling all border barriers as "walls," even though they are the same fences he belittled during his campaign.

Today, as the president pushes Congress to finance funding for his most symbolic and concrete campaign vision, it is undecided whether a border wall already is under construction, whether the "big, beautiful wall" will ever get built — or whether, under the new definition, it already has been.

The answer, arguably, has become a matter of interpretation, as well as congressional approval.

Helicopter footage documents just 354 miles of fences designed to stop people on foot. Almost all are near cities and towns. The un-fenced border is mostly remote, wild and distant from roads or construction supplies.

Is Trump's border wall the same as the border fence?

CLOSE

Supporters of President Trump defend the border wall during a rally as Trump visits the border wall prototypes several miles away in Otay Mesa, California. David Wallace/The Republic

On the campaign trail, supporters regaled Trump with a slogan, "Build the wall!"

Most fencing along the border consists of tall steel posts, known as "bollards." For decades, Border Patrol agents have talked about "bollard fences." Now, their agency calls them "bollard walls."

Under Trump's administration, fewer than 40 miles of new barriers have been erected or are approved, and most of those simply replace old fencing.

In tweets Dec. 11, the president wrote, "People do not yet realize how much of the wall…has already been built."

He said the border "is now secure" and asserted that undocumented immigrants "have not been able to get through our newly built walls."

At the same time, Trump said Democrats in Congress are trying to stop border-security efforts by denying funds for a wall.

"If the Democrats do not give us the votes to secure our Country, the Military will build the remaining sections of the Wall," he added.

CLOSE

Could a wall be built? What would it do?
Journalists from the USA TODAY NETWORK flew and drove the entire length of the U.S.-Mexico border in search for answers. This is what they found. A USA TODAY NETWORK video production.

In October, border officials marked the completion of 2 miles of barriers near Calexico, Calif. Crews had replaced older metal fencing with new, 30-foot steel bollards, a project identified as a priority and funded under President Barack Obama.

In November, Customs and Border Protection officials announced a contract for about 6 miles of "wall system" in the Rio Grande Valley. The project is supposed to include a concrete levee wall "to the height of the existing levee" with 18-foot bollards on top. That barrier is not being built yet; it's set to be started in February.

None of those barriers look like the wall prototypes built near San Diego, which Trump visited and praised earlier this year.

Is Mexico going to pay for the border wall?

So far, no.

Congress approved $1.6 billion this year for border security, which Trump has described as a “down payment” on his wall. That's U.S. tax dollars.

Not all of that $1.6 billion goes toward fences or walls.

The $1.6 billion is intended for general border security measures, which includes new technology along the border and repairs to existing barriers. Only $641 million was dedicated to building 33 miles of new barriers.

The bill that allocated that funding also contained a notable caveat: "The amounts ... shall only be available for operationally effective designs deployed as of the date of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 ...such as currently deployed steel bollard designs, that prioritize agent safety."

In other words: The funding can be used only for previous designs, not any new designs for Trump's border wall idea.

But the new designs might not be usable, anyway.

What's the status of the border wall prototypes?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection awarded eight contracts to six companies to build border-wall prototypes in 2017.

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Three border wall prototypes are seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, California, as seen from behind the pre-existing border fencing on the international border between the U.S. and Tijuana, Mexico, on Oct. 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

A border wall prototype is seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, California, as seen from Tijuana, Mexico, on Oct. 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

Construction continues of the border wall prototype designed and contracted to Fisher Sand & Gravel of Tempe, among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, California, on Oct. 17, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

Construction continues of the border wall prototype designed and contracted to Fisher Sand & Gravel of Tempe, among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, California, on Oct. 17, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

Two border wall prototypes are seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, Calif., as seen from Tijuana, Mexico, on October 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

A border wall prototype is seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, Calif., as seen from Tijuana, Mexico, on October 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

A border wall prototypes is seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, Calif., as seen from Tijuana, Mexico, on October 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

Two border wall prototypes are seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, Calif., as seen from Tijuana, Mexico, on October 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

Three border wall prototypes are seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, Calif., as seen from behind the preexisting border fencing on the international border between the U.S. and Tijuana, Mexico, on October 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

Three border wall prototypes are seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, Calif., as seen from behind the preexisting border fencing on the international border between the U.S. and Tijuana, Mexico, on October 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

A border-wall prototype is seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, as seen from Tijuana, Mexico, on Oct. 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

A border wall prototype is seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, Calif., as seen from Tijuana, Mexico, on October 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

A border wall prototype is seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, Calif., as seen from Tijuana, Mexico, on October 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

A border-wall prototype is seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, as seen from behind the pre-existing border fencing on U.S.-Mexico border on Oct. 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

Two border wall prototypes are seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, Calif., as seen from behind the preexisting border fencing on the international border between the U.S. and Tijuana, Mexico, on October 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

U.S. Customs and Border Protection did field tests on the 30-foot-tall structures. In August, the U.S. Government Accountability Office published a report about the results of that testing.

The tests revealed many of the prototypes, as built, failed to meet the same design standards that Customs and Border Protection had set out in its calls for submissions. The evaluations found that all four concrete prototypes had “extensive” construction challenges.

The GAO report did not disclose the cost-effectiveness of the eight prototypes.

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Anti-Trump protesters hold up signs along Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills before the start of a rally at Beverly Gardens Park. President Donald Trump is in Southern California for his first visit since being elected president in 2016. Robert Hanashiro/USA TODAY

De Le of San Diego, cheers during rally in support of President Trump a few miles form where President Trump will visits the border wall prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, Calif., later in the day on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church to protest during President Trump's visit to see border wall prototypes on Tuesday, Mar. 13, 2018. Church is located at 2020 Alaquinas Dr, San Ysidro, CA. Nick Oza/The Republic

Hundreds of protesters gather outside Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church to protest during President Trump's visit to see border wall prototypes on Tuesday, Mar. 13, 2018. Church is located at 2020 Alaquinas Dr, San Ysidro, CA. Nick Oza/The Republic

Hundreds of protesters gather outside Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church to protest during President Trump's visit to see border wall prototypes on Tuesday, Mar. 13, 2018. Church is located at 2020 Alaquinas Dr, San Ysidro, CA. Nick Oza/The Republic

Bill Sparks (left) and Sarah Garfield (right) hold a sign along with hundreds of protesters gathered outside Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church to protest during President Trump's visit to see border wall prototypes on Tuesday, Mar. 13, 2018. Church is located at 2020 Alaquinas Dr, San Ysidro, CA. Nick Oza/The Republic

Hundreds of protesters gather outside Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church to protest during President Trump's visit to see border wall prototypes on Tuesday, Mar. 13, 2018. Church is located at 2020 Alaquinas Dr, San Ysidro, CA. Nick Oza/The Republic

Nikki Desjardins joins with hundreds of protesters gathered outside Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church to protest during President Trump's visit to see border wall prototypes on Tuesday, Mar. 13, 2018. Church is located at 2020 Alaquinas Dr, San Ysidro, CA. Nick Oza/The Arizona Republic

Trump supporter Cameron Baker of San Diego, during a rally in support of President Trump a few miles from where President Trump visited the border wall prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, Calif. Tuesday, March 13, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Police back people out of the street during a rally in support of President Trump a few miles from where the president visited the border wall prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, Calif. on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

People cheer during a rally in support of President Trump a few miles from where the president visited the border wall prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, Calif. on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

People listen to speeches during a rally in support of President Trump a few miles from where President Trump visited the border wall prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, Calif., on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

during a rally in support of President Trump a few miles form where President Trump visited the border wall prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, Calif., later in the day on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

William Alfano of Riverside, Calif., and his son Michael Alfano, 6, during a rally in support of President Trump a few miles from the border wall prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, Calif., on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Mike Tucker (left) of Placentia, Calif., and Kira Innis of Los Angeles, listen to speeches during a rally in support of President Trump a few miles from the border wall prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, Calif. on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

People cheer during a rally in support of the President Trump a few miles from the border wall prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, Calif. on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Kira Innis of Los Angeles, during a rally in support of President Trump a few miles from the border wall prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, Calif. on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Kira Innis of Los Angeles, during a rally in support of President Trump a few miles from the border wall prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, Calif. on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Mexican federal police officers stand guard on the Mexico side of the border on March 13, 2018, in Tijuana, Mexico. President Donald Trump visited the site of the border-wall prototypes, which can be seen in the background behind the wall. Gregory Bull/Associated Press

Law enforcement is awaiting President Trump’s arrival at the entrance of the border wall prototypes. Lots of onlookers are behind the officers chanting in support or against President Trump on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. Rafael Carranza/The Republic

Protesters hang signs on the border wall. One says “stop the massive deportations” in Spanish. The Military is guarding the prototypes on the U.S. side of the wall as a helicopter circles in the sky ahead of the president's visit to California on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. Rebecca Plevin/Desert Sun

A protester holds up a sign during a rally against a scheduled visit by President Trump Tuesday, March 13, 2018, in San Diego. Protesters chanted, “No ban! No wall!” near the San Ysidro border crossing, where tens of thousands of people enter the U.S. daily from Tijuana, Mexico, many on their way to work or school in San Diego. Kyusung Gong/AP

A crowd of protesters gather at the San Ysidro Border in San Diego Calif., including Judith Castro, a 27-year-old instructional aide at a school. Castro said, "My dad was deported in 2006, and Mom was deported in 2007. There’s a lot of mixed emotions. I had to learn how to take care of four other siblings. I want him to know that we don’t have money to go to a wall. We want the money to go to a better education system." Nick Oza/The Republic

A crowd of protesters gather at the San Ysidro Border in San Diego Calif., including Judith Castro, a 27-year-old instructional aide at a school. Castro said, "My dad was deported in 2006, and Mom was deported in 2007. There’s a lot of mixed emotions. I had to learn how to take care of four other siblings. I want him to know that we don’t have money to go to a wall. We want the money to go to a better education system." Nick Oza/The Republic

Judith Castro, a 27-year-old instructional aide at a school said, "My dad was deported in 2006, and Mom was deported in 2007. There’s a lot of mixed emotions. I had to learn how to take care of four other siblings. I want him to know that we don’t have money to go to a wall. We want the money to go to a better education system." Nick Oza/The Republic

Estela Jimenez and Octavio Aguilar scream 'Build bridges! Not wall!' near San Ysidro Border during President Trump's visit to see border wall prototypes on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic

Jules Luna screams'Build bridges! Not wall!'' as a crowd of protesters gather at the San Ysidro Border in San Diego Calif., to protest during President Trump's visit to see border wall prototypes. Nick Oza/The Republic

Mexican federal police cordon off a street directly south of the border-wall prototypes in the Magisterial neighborhood of Tijuana, Mexico, in anticipation of President Donald Trump's visit to the area on March 13, 2018. Omar Ornelas/Desert Sun

Mexican Federal Police cordon off a street directly south of the border wall prototypes in the Magisterial neighborhood of Tijuana, Mexico in anticipation of President's Trump's visit to the area. Omar Ornelas/Desert Sun

About 40 people from the Hotel del Migrante Deportado, a hotel for deported migrants, are protesting by the border fence. They chanted “We don’t want the wall,” in Spanish on Tuesday, March 13, 2018, ahead of the president's visit to California. Rebecca Plevin/Desert Sun

Mexican and American media climbed a ladder onto a semi-stable roof to get a view of the border wall prototypes on Tuesday, March 13, 2018, ahead of the president's visit to California. Rebecca Plevin/Desert Sun

The border wall prototypes can be seen through the existing border wall from the Tijuana side. Border Patrol vans and other federal law enforcement are also present preparing for President Trump’s visit on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. Rebecca Plevin/Desert Sun

Firefighters, the Marine Corps police and the CA Highway Patrol make their way to the #BorderWall prototypes siteon Tuesday, March 13, 2018, ahead of the president's visit to California. Rafael Carranza/The Republic

People during a rally in support of President Trump a few miles from where President Trump will visit the border wall prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, Calif., later in the day on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

People during a rally in support of President Trump a few miles from where President Trump will visit the border wall prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, Calif., later in the day on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Jacqueline Hackney (left) and her daughter, Tiffany Hackney, 13, (right) both of Corona, Calif., cheer during a rally in support of President Trump a few miles from where he will visit the border wall prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, Calif., later in the day on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Greg Brittain of Redland, Calif., during a rally in support of President Trump a few miles from where President Trump will visit the border wall prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, Calif., later in the day on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Loree Masonis of Ontario, Calif., cheers during a rally in support of President Trump a few miles from where President Trump will visit the border wall prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, Calif., later in the day on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Darlene Smith (left) of Orange County, Calif., dances during a rally in support of President Trump a few miles from where President Trump will visit the border wall prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, Calif., later in the day on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Lisa Collins of Orange County, Calif., waves a flag during a rally in support of President Trump a few miles from where President Trump will visit the border wall prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, Calif., later in the day on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

After landing in San Diego, Trump will take a chopper to this municipal airport near the border wall prototypes. Customs said they’ll close the area from 11:30AM-3PM on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. Rafael Carranza/The Republic

Retired teacher Catheryn Rathsam of San Diego says she thinks it doesn’t make sense ‘to spend billions of dollars on a wall when it could go to build our infrastructure'on Tuesday, March 13, 2018, ahead of the president's visit to California. Ian James/Desert Sun

Behind the painted border wall are the 8 border wall prototypes. Mexican federal police have closed off about 3 blocks directly across from the prototypeson Tuesday, March 13, 2018, ahead of the president's visit to California. Rebecca Plevin/Desert Sun

Is Trump's border wall being built or not?

Details aside, the administration has been consistent in saying any border-security construction will be considered part of a "wall" or "wall system" under Trump.

"To us, it's all new wall," Nielsen said at a White House briefing in April. "If there was a wall before that needs to be replaced, it's being replaced by a new wall. This is Trump's border wall."

ICYM the livestream, after @SecNielsen’s arrival to the 30ft Calexico #border fence, two men welded this to the fence. It reads: “This plaque was installed on October 26, 2018 to commemorate the completion of the first section of President Trump’s border wall” pic.twitter.com/ZnJF6xtpOw

In October, as Nielsen christened the bollards at Calexico, workers put a literal stamp on the project.

When Nielsen arrived at the site, two men welded an engraved plaque to one of the bollards. It read: “This plaque was installed on October 26, 2018 to commemorate the completion of the first section of President Trump’s border wall.”

With reporting from Dennis Wagner of The Arizona Republic and Alan Gomez of USA TODAY.